RAW. RUGGED. RADICAL. REVOLUTIONARY. Radical principles inspiring the soul, challenging the status quo, revolutionizing the church, innovating the given system, and enlightening the mind.
This is a radical, powerful and revolutionary declaration of who Jesus is. He knows you and loves you much. Hope you will know Him too personally. He wants to give you relationship not religion.
The Bible says my King is the King of the Jews.
He's the King of Israel. He's the King of righteousness.
He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven.
He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords.
That's my King. I wonder...Do you know Him?
My King is a sovereign King.
No means of measure can define his limitless love.
This is what it takes to be included in the Book of Life- confirm your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like as Facebook is free, so is salvation. It is not by your good works nor by your religion which you can have a new life and salvation. It is only placing your faith on Jesus love for you which He showed for you on the cross. So, will you accept Jesus?
Reading this article will make you guess that this one could have been written either by an emerging church pastor, a post-modern leader or a radical/revolutionary leader in our present time. Let us read the article :
"I mean that the Lord has in his sacred oracles faithfully embraced and clearly expressed both the whole sum of true righteousness, and all aspects of the worship of his majesty, and whatever was necessary to salvation; therefore, in these the Master alone is to be heard. But because he did not will in outward discipline and ceremonies to prescribe in detail what we ought to do(because he foresaw that this depended upon the state of the times, and he did not deem one form suitable for all ages), here we must take refuge in those general rules which he has given, that whatever the necessity of the church will require for order and decorum should be tested against these.
Lastly, because he has taught nothing specifically, and because these things are not necessary to salvation, and for the upbuilding of the church ought to be variously accommodated to the customs of each nation and age, it will be fitting (as the advantage of the church will require) to change and abrogate traditional practices and to establish new ones.
Indeed, I admit that we ought not to charge into innovation rashly, suddenly, for insufficient cause. But love will best judge what may hurt or edify; and if we let love be our guide, all will be safe."
You will be surprised knowing who wrote this. Answer is below.
This was written hundred years ago in a book called Institutes of the Christian Religion written by none other than John Calvin.
Before I proceed, let me salute you, thank you and praise God for you for volunteering to any church work every Saturday. What you do is very important for God's kingdom and you are a great blessing to many. Your work may not be noticed by some, but surely God is well-pleased in what you are doing for Him.
Saturday is one of the busiest days for most churches around the world. This is the day pastors and preachers recaps and prepares their messages, the choir and worship team practice their songs, some do visitations and invitations, the media team prepares the graphics needed for tomorrow, the workers clean the worship place, the pastoral team meets for things to be done, the youth practices their numbers, the teachers prepares their lessons, and the list goes on.
It is true - what we are on Sunday is based on what we prepare on Saturday.
All of these works and preparations are needed and vital. God is pleased when His people do His work in the best of their abilities based on His love and grace.
However, Saturday is also the day which is most prone to irritation and stress since this is the busiest day for all who are active in church work, not to mention that they have been also busy in their homes and in their work during weekdays. So, let me share to you some of radical truths I discovered in life being also a volunteer and a leader in the church :
1. My zeal is primarily for God and not for the people. No matter what others do, I am still personally responsible of what I should do. What I do is all about Him, not about a program, a goal, a ministerial duty, an assignment or an image. My volunteering for a certain work is more than just fulfilling an assignment. It is all because His love and my expression of my love for Him.
2. I must be sure that my strength comes from what God says, more than what people says.
3. I must move people, programs and activities through prayer. I cannot be too dependent on what I know or what I am good at, I must still depend on God in prayer.
4. I must not measure other people with the zeal or faithfulness that I have. If you do this, you will just be frustrated, and you will be coercive to other people.
5. I must lead people by motivation not by coercion.
6. My zeal must not center on performance of things alone but in building lives.
This is the common "lapse" for those who regularly work in the church. Because of their familiarity to each other, for example the choir and worship team gathers to practice their song every week, but they are not conscious that they are also gathering to build their faith with each other. Same thing happens to the pastor and his staff, and other ministries. We don't just gather to achieve a goal, we gather for each one's soul.
7. I must never justify laziness nor mediocrity.
8. I must accept that I am not superhuman. If I am tired, I need to rest. If I am stressed out, I need to relax.
9. My zeal should never be for the expense of relationships.
Having this mindset makes us to be understanding and forbearing to others. This will refrain us from criticizing and being irritable. We should not allow things or matters in the church affect our relationship at home. When it is time for lunch or dinner, enjoy time in your relationships. And of course, talk good and positive things.
10. With all the things I have prepared, I must not forget the value of - a good laughter in during the day, and a nice sleep at night.
Your best preparations during Saturdays is not just what you do with your hands, but what you do with your heart.
Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, Doing more harm than good.
Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.
Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.
Overwork makes for restless sleep. Overtalk shows you up as a fool.
When you tell God you'll do something, do it—now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it.
We have been reared in a Christianity that is always in a Fighting Stance. We have raised in a culture that we must always "defend" the truth to the point that we lost some fruits of the Spirit which are kindness, love and patience. We have seen bickering here and there, even in the name of "theology." And while we do this, we see how many people are going to perdition because we have lost our focus. All those times, we have a mindset of always fighting. We find glory when we thought we have defended the truth while we lost some precious souls. Some, because they don't believe anymore in present-day healing, have included that to heal people from their brokenness and spiritual wounds have also believed that these too are obsolete.
There are lots of wounded people in this world-
Inside and outside the Church, rich and poor, leaders and followers, young and old.
I also believe that those people who always hate other people, who are always judgmental to others, are actually results of their wounded and hurting souls.
Everybody needs healing. Everybody needs the Balm from Gilead.
I think it is time for us to really live what really is the identity of Christianity.
The church is not a museum, nor it is a war room; it is a hospital for all sick, wounded people.
Thus, when we are in our workplaces or wherever we are, what we bring with us are not guns and swords, but rather - a first aid kit.
Yes, this is a time for us to live the First Aid Christianity.
A kind of attitude which always finding the lost, the weak, the sick and the wounded. A kind of attitude which we always go for healing instead of hurting. A kind of attitude which we help those who are broken, heal the wounded and deliver the dying. A kind of attitude which we always foster peace and love, instead of polarization, legalism and indifference.
Wherever we go, we are carrying love, hope and the Gospel to heal wounded souls. Wherever we go, our mindset is not to hurt but to heal, not to bicker but to assist, not to war but to love. Jesus' mission is to be the Great Physician healing the sick and the brokenhearted. Jesus commissioned us to go to the world not as armies to wage war, but as loving people who will help and heal those who are lost in their sins, and who are struggling in life.
Many people are wounded today because we have left our First Aid kit in our church buildings, in our houses, in our prayer rooms, and in our study rooms. We go out with this mindset to always fight because we thought we are the army on a mission. But even you are an army, an army is not complete without the medical team. What will you do if you were hit by temptation, discouragement and criticism? You need a first aid kit.
Jesus cleared this when He said, "my people is not of this world, lest my servant will fight." "The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to heal the brokenhearted."
No wonder it is not coincidence that the symbol of First Aid is not a sword or a gun, but -
... a cross.
Carry love, hope and kindness wherever you go.
There are lots of wounded people in our midst.
What we need today is not a Fighting Christianity but a
Who in These Pictures Best Represent You Every Sunday?
I will not argue here with those who thought that Sunday is not the Lord's day because this day pertained for the worship of the sun. I will not dwell on that, but rather just think out of wit to drive a simple but radical message here.
Sun-day implies that the sun means, "absence of darkness."
There is no darkness in the sun. So what I mean is, "Is your Sunday fully dwelling on the Light, or you are dwelling more on darkness?" Are you focusing on the good and positive things every Sunday, or are you focusing more on negativism? Is your Sunday always spoiled because you think too much on how the service goes according to your whims, how the sermon goes along, or how the people in the church treat you?
The earth and the planets with all its moons, and stars all revolve around the Sun which implies all of you must revolve around the Light making Him your focus. The Sun will not revolve around you. Sunday is not about you. It is about Him. Is there light in your Sundays?
Sun-day implies too that the sun means, "vibrance, radiance."
Is your Sunday filled with vibrance, or it is the most dragging day of your week? Is your Sunday radiates with positivism and happiness, or it lacks joy and warmth because you focus too much on what are lacking? Is your Sunday so boring? or is it so alive that you can't wait that it is Sunday again?
Again I say, the earth and the planets revolve around the Sun, and not the other way around. Your Mondays to Saturdays must revolve around Sunday, too and not the other way around. Your Sunday is not your left-over. It is your beginning.
We all love children. Looking at them and playing with them surely takes away our stress. I, myself, love children, too. I love to look at them, play with them, cuddle them, kiss them and hug them. Children has this innate characteristics to really give you a one-of-a-kind refreshing. Their innocence and angelic character relaxes your heart and mind.
One child whom I love is the child of one of my friend in the church. Her name is Keyl. Everybody in the church loves Keyl. She is so cuddly and cute. When her Dad posted her pictures in Facebook, I was so glad. When I get tired at work, just a glance at the above picture eases my mind.
Kids make the place happy.
Kids make everybody sweet.
Kids refreshes you from any stress.
Connect this in a church and you will discover that this is also the one that can contribute to the liveliness and happiness of the church. What I mean is- the new believers. Yes, the new converts, the visitors or the people new to our church. They are the "babes" in Christ.
And isn't it also true that knowing that there is a new believer or a new visitor in the church makes the church happy? Isn't it true that we act differently when there is a new convert? We are conscious of our actions to make our new believers feel accepted and loved. New believers make everybody sweet. Why? Because there is a new "babe" in the church. New believers remind you of your first love. New believers remind you of how sweet it was to be a child of God. New believers has this innocence. New believers appreciate much what we often took for granted. To them, everything in the church is wonderful. Everything they see is a delight and a blessing. And we, in reaction to their attitude, becomes very accommodating to them. Visitors change our Sundays. When you have no visitor brought in the church, you don't care if the songs are too loud, or the message is long or the people don't smile. But when you have a visitor, how you prayed that the songs will be okay, the message ought be perfect, and you wish that everybody will smile and shake hands with your visitor. You are careful and you ensure that nothing will offend your visitor. Speaking of, taking care of fragile kids, right? New believers make us behave how we ought to behave in the church. Visitors make our church gatherings happy.
Another thing, new believers make everybody sweet, and new believers refreshes us from any stress. To the new believers, our issues in "Christianity" is not their issues. All they know is that they have a new life in Jesus. To the new believers, even our issues in the church is a petty thing to them. New believers make us behave differently.
This is why if the church has no new believers, no people being reached and no new members, the church is not that happy. There is no liveliness. There is no baby in the house! And since there are new people being reached, we tend to focus on ourselves to the point that we tend to notice our differences, and eventually, conflicts emerge in our midst. Why? Because there are new babes in the church. Everybody is stressed out, and all our attention is among ourselves in all those years.
But just wait when a new believer comes, O, the atmosphere will be different. There is a new child of God, there is a babe in Christ, and their presence makes our gatherings happy. New believers make us sweet. They refreshes us from stress, making us realize that there is no need to dwell in unnecessary issues and better to minister and focus to these new believers.
Just like Keyl, our attention is to her when she is around in the church. Her smile makes us happy. Keyl makes everybody sweet. Keyl relaxes you from stress. This is the same blessings you get when you minister to the new believers.
The blessing of ministering to new believers is that actually, they are the ones blessing us.
- A r t R o y R e m y
__________________________
Just few more radical thoughts:
I will not spend my time resurrecting the dead when I can focus on new births.
If we want radical change in our churches, if we want any issue to vanish, if we want liveliness in our midst, let us focus more on the new believers and pool all our resources and potential to minister to them.
We are called to "love our neighbors." How much more when our neighbors are already with our Church.
Irritations? You Are Just Being Refined for Blessings
Conquering Your Fear and Stepping On To The Blessings of God
YOUR DOUBLE BLESSINGS
GET UP AND LET'S GO
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
SIDE BY SIDE WITH JESUS
I SEEK NOT YOURS, BUT YOU
2010
From Withered Hands to Winning Hands
First Aid Christianity
Jesus- The Only One
Who Will Sing With the Sons of Korah?
The Secret of Psalm 46:1
The Best is Yet to Come
The Shortest Sermon Title in the World
The Fifth Sparrow
P.S. I love You Dad [P.S.is Prodigal Son]
O My Fatted Calf
My Rough Edges in the Rock of Ages
I Am Blazing But I am Not Burning
I Am A Victor Not a Victim
I Am A Reformissionary
How To Lead A Change
HomeCourt Advantage
People around the world who are passionate for Jesus' love and radical truths. This is the army of people who is making a difference by radically living their faith out loud for the Lord by shunning religion and embracing authentic, radical spirituality. These are the people who make a difference through their incarnate love in helping the poor, the needy and the lost in this world.[started August2010]
